President Donald Trump greets Vice President of China Han Zheng as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang look on at Beijing Capital Worldwide Airport on Might 13, 2026.
Alex Wong | Getty Photographs
The American automotive trade needs President Donald Trump to keep up insurance policies that make it tough for Chinese language automakers to function within the U.S. — and even ban them altogether.
In a letter to Trump dated Thursday and seen by CNBC, teams representing main sides of the U.S. automotive trade — from franchised sellers and suppliers to home and international automakers — urged the president to “keep insurance policies that maintain the door firmly shut to Chinese language automakers looking for to promote, import or manufacture automobiles contained in the U.S.”
“The automotive sector is foundational to our superior manufacturing and protection base, with the capability and workforce to reply throughout a nationwide emergency. As soon as that base is hollowed out, it might probably’t be rebuilt in a single day,” the letter reads.
The letter comes forward of Trump’s anticipated go to subsequent week with Chinese language President Xi Jinping in Washington, in addition to Trump final week saying he would allow Chinese language automakers to maneuver manufacturing to the U.S.
“If China needed to return in and open a plant to construct their automobiles right here, I would be OK with it,” Trump mentioned Sept. 11 on Fox Information’ “The Ingraham Angle.”
The letter argues that permitting Chinese language automakers to fabricate within the U.S. would “undermine truthful competitors and jeopardize the progress” the administration has made in stopping “Chinese language dominance in key industries.” Chinese language automakers are closely backed by their authorities and are quickly increasing outdoors of China to different nations.
The letter is the newest in a string of messages from the automotive trade to the Trump administration, however this time represented a extra unified coalition.
It was signed by leaders of six commerce associations that characterize each main automaker working within the U.S., together with Tesla and international automakers, in addition to the nation’s roughly 17,000 franchised sellers.